Maintaining this protective state burned a lot of aura every second, and if Ginta ran out, escape would be impossible, and that would mean serious trouble.
Thanks to his control over the water flow, the ship no longer felt like it was caught in a violent storm.
In fact, by redirecting the surrounding water currents, the ship was moving faster than before.
But the relief was short-lived.
These storms were just the start of the danger, they hadn't seen the worst yet.
Suddenly, Ginta shouted, "Wait! What is this?!"
His Nen senses suddenly detected a huge number of life signs around the ship, a massive school of powerful fish closing in.
The real threat was just beginning.
Almost as soon as the ship had settled down, it began to shake violently again, this time even worse than before.
Many of the passengers who had just relaxed their Nen aura beneath their feet suddenly lost their footing and fell onto the deck.
Ging, Beyond, and a few others hadn't let go of their Nen.
"Schools of fish! And there are so many of them!" Beyond said, his face serious.
He knew the real danger had arrived.
Using his Nen to sense the surroundings, Beyond realized the boat was now surrounded by countless schools of fish, each one powerful.
The recent shaking was caused by these fish crashing against the hull.
Anyone who looked under the boat would
See dense groups of small, shark-like creatures with hammer-shaped bumps on their heads. These bumps were tough enough to break large rocks.
A single one might not damage the ship, but there were hundreds, maybe thousands, attacking all at once. If it weren't for Bushidora's support with his aura, the ship might have been seriously damaged already.
These creatures were from Lake Mobius, different from the beasts and monsters found across the six continents. Even a small fish here could cause massive destruction.
Their bodies were as tough as steel, and the hammer-like bumps on their heads were even harder. Combined with their great strength, every strike could cause severe damage.
This was what worried Beyond the most. While sailing these waters, the biggest threat wasn't bad weather, it was the constant appearance of dangerous marine life.
Any creature could suddenly show up, just like this swarm of fish attacking the boat. As everyone was still focused on the threat below, a new danger appeared from above.
A massive flock of giant birds suddenly burst out from the dark clouds. These birds were enormous, with wingspans of five to six meters.
Their pure white wings crackled with streaks of lightning that twisted like blue snakes. Despite the thunder and lightning on their wings, the birds flew unbothered by the storm.
It sounded like something out of a fantasy, but it was happening right in front of them. There was no time to be surprised for long because giant birds were swooping down toward them, thunderbirds from the sky, and hammerhead sharks ramming the hull from beneath the water.
They found themselves caught in a dangerous pincer attack, assaulted from both above and below. Anyone else would have been captured without mercy, but the people here were experienced and tough, each with lightning-fast reactions.
They had faced all kinds of threats before, big and small, and their bodies had developed muscle memory to respond instinctively in crises. Thoughts and instincts fired off like flashes of light cutting through the gloomy weather.
In moments like these, the most important thing was to activate their aura, what they called "aura", to protect themselves and prepare for counterattacks. In simple terms, it was like practicing a technique that sharpened their reflexes and defenses.
"Gollem! Get the weapons ready!" Miluk, captain of the mercenary unit called Stone Wall, ordered sharply.
"Miru, keep checking for any other threats nearby!" he barked.
"Everyone else, arm yourselves quickly!"
Miluk's crisis management was razor-sharp. In a flash, he sized up the situation and devised a plan.
The thunderbirds above were a mystery; their level of defense was unknown, especially since these weren't ordinary birds from the six continents. They had just emerged from thunderclouds, so they might be tougher than usual.
Still, Miluk commanded his team to try long-range attacks first, aiming to keep the birds from getting too close to their ship.
"200."
Birds typically don't have strong defenses, but he wasn't taking any chances.
Under Miluk's quick orders, a barrage of fiery shells soared into the sky. The mind weapons had another advantage besides range: they didn't require precise aiming.
This gave them a crucial edge against the thunderbirds attacking from above, buying the crew precious time to hold their ground against the dual threat.
The thunderbirds were enormous, especially when they spread their wings wide in the sky. Right now, about 20 to 30 of them were flying together, their massive wingspans covering a large section of the sky.
Golem, who had been on the battlefield for a long time, understood exactly which weapon would be most effective in this situation. He instructed several people around him to equip themselves with large rocket launchers and simply fire into the sky.
Each shot had the potential to take down several thunderbirds at once.
"Bang! Bang, bang..."
Meanwhile, Miluk ignored the few people firing above; he was focused on a problem underneath the ship. As the captain of the [Stone Wall] unit and the leader of the entire team, Miluk was responsible for planning during critical moments.
While Larry and Beyond held ultimate decision-making authority, Miluk was the team's strategist, proposing plans that were implemented as long as Larry and Beyond agreed. At this moment, Ging, Beyond, and Pariston stood side by side on the deck, each lost in their own thoughts.
Ging was the odd one out. Despite the tense situation and multiple crises, he calmly munched on an apple as if nothing was wrong.
He had even taken the apples out of his bag himself. To an outsider, this might have seemed irresponsible or unreliable.
But if you looked closer, you'd notice that Ging's eyes never left the thunderbirds soaring above. Though his face showed no emotion, inside he was filled with curiosity and anticipation.
Only Larry and Pariston truly understood that Ging's apple-eating was not a sign of carelessness. In fact, it was a subtle habit he had before battle, a way to prepare himself mentally when his emotions ran high.
Just like some people might fidget with their fingers or bite their lips when nervous or excited, Ging would eat fruit to channel his feelings. While Ging's mood was one of curiosity and excitement, Beyond remained calm and solemn, embodying steady focus in the face of danger.
He dared not take any danger lightly, especially when it came to the Dark Continent, or even the journey leading there. A single lapse in caution could mean only one thing: death.
Pariston, however, was even more mysterious.